A special school in Denbighshire which provides an education to pupils from across North Wales is celebrating a glowing Estyn inspection report which has highly praised the school’s many outstanding features.
Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn in Denbigh is an educational and residential school for children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and was inspected by Estyn in June 2010.
The report, published by Estyn yesterday (Friday) states: “Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn is very effective in the way that it meets the needs of its learners as a result of the consistent and skilled implementation of up to date approaches by all staff. Throughout the school there are many outstanding features that together ensure that learners increasingly improve their personal and educational skills as they progress through the school”.
It adds: “By reaching school leaving age, they are very well prepared for moving on to adult life with high levels of confidence, competence and maturity, according to their individual needs and abilities, enabling them to move on to further education, training or employment”.
The report also highlighted:
- Above average attendance than the national rates for special schools.
- There are good or outstanding features in many of the lessons.
- Supportive relationships successfully motivate learners.
- Most lessons are thoroughly planned.
- The school ‘outstandingly’ provides learning experiences that meet the range of learners’ needs and abilities at all stages.
- Strong sense of teamwork.
- The Acting Headteacher’s vision for the school has been shared and agreed and there are common values, aims and high expectations throughout the school.
- The use of good range of specialists and external professionals made by the school to enhance pupils’ learning is outstanding.
- Excellent links with the inclusion programme at Ysgol Frongoch and Denbigh High School and link courses at Denbigh College of Further Education
- The range and quality of accommodation at the school and the residential hostel is now outstanding.
Councillor Eryl Williams, Cabinet Lead Member for Lifelong Learning, said: “This is an outstanding report and makes extremely positive reading. Estyn has given top grades in virtually every aspect of the report and the staff, pupils, governors and everyone associated with Plas Brondyffryn should be very proud of their achievement.
“The centre provides an education for children and young people from across North Wales and this report places the school at the forefront as a centre of excellence.
“Of course, as with any report there will always be room for improvement and the school will be working tirelessly to continue raising standards in education and residential provision.”
